Well, it's been a weird week so far... i'm currently watching/burning to DVD the last game of the NBA Finals to free up what is apparently unneeded space on my DVR since there's nothing on television anymore... i can't wait for the return of Psych, Monk, The Closer and Burn Notice... maybe even more, but those four come to mind right now... until then, we'll have to settle for whatever we can scrape up from good old netflix... dang, another three-pointer from Ray Allen...

I've also been reliving the days when i watched the NBA regularly by moving my old video tapes of the 1996 NBA Finals onto DVD as well... how great would it be to see Jordan, Pippen, Harper, Rodman and Longley square up against Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, and Perkins... oooooh... that's the ticket... i can't hardly BELIEVE that it was TWELVE YEARS AGO... crazy...

Of course, i've also been doing a lot of reading as well and my updates are below... it looks i'll be able to go in for the kill and finish at least one of those books this week... possibly two, but at least one... and as they get checked off, you can expect brief little reviews in keeping with my agreement with the reading club thingamabob...

Okay, let's move on shall we... this game is wrapped up and i'm ready to get this blog party started...

CHEATER CHEATER CHEATER
to the tune of Still Suspicion Hold You Tight - Black Rebel Motocycle Club

Okay, so i've mentioned before, probably several times that i enjoy playing the games online... particularly word games, but i've been known to delve off into puzzle games and other nonsensical flash-based games as well... and when it comes to word games, i like to win... and i do win a lot, but not always... i'm okay with losing and whenever it happens, i try my best to take it with grace...

And so it was that after handily defeating someone at a particular word game and then losing the rematch as they improved their score significantly it was a logical next step for me rematch again and dig in for the "rubber match"... Well, my scores remained pretty consistent, but their score, again, improved significantly on the back of a string of perfect rounds... chalking it up to good luck on their part and still wanting to win, i opted for another rematch...

However, as i watched them kick off the opening rounds with more perfect scores, my suspicions got the better of me... i researched the possibility of cheating in such a game as this... previously it hadn't even occurred to me, but the suspicion holds me tight as they say and as it turns out, it is possible and there is no doubt in my mind that this individual was juicing up their scores... that last game - and it's the last i'll ever engage in with this particular person - unfolded with perfect round after perfect round... not only was the fun evacuated from the situation, but my concern for this individual grew as well... i mean, come on, how messed up and insecure do you have to be to cheat in a friendly game to make yourself look better?.... man, that's insecurity at it's apex... what a shame...

UNO DOS TRES CATORCE
to the tune of Like Spinning Plates - Radiohead

So i woke up Tuesday morning after an interrupted night of sleep and the room is spinning... it seems that i got up during a bad sleep cycle or something, but my equillibrium was all messed up... i tried my darndest to fight through it as if it were a passing feeling, but this vertigo had set in for the day... i ended up calling in sick and going back to bed... by the afternoon, i was able to be on the couch, eat lunch and do a little bit on the computer and such, but every time i turned my head, the images seemed to be proccessing in slow motion... i felt like i was in the matrix...

Little boy made my day by coming over, wrapping his arms around me and informing me that he had prayed for me three times and then, for good measure, prayed again right then and there... such a sweetie... clearly, i'm back on my feet again, but that was a wild day and i didn't particularly like the way i felt...

SHORE ENOUGH
to the tune of Stronger - Seabird

New on the music front this week is a band called Seabird... i know what you're probably thinking... you're thinking that if it came out this week, i should be writing a regular full-on album review for it instead of putzing around here in this blog with just a brief mention, right?... well, it's here or nowhere for this week... i'm backed up beyond belief and as hard as i try, it's gonna be a while before i'm back on track... besides, you wouldn't have the enjoyment of this handy little album player here to my left if this were an actual review...

Anyway, Seabird hit the scen a little bit ago with an EP that turned some heads and with the pedigree of being on Credential Recordings, you know it's gotta at least be interesting music, right?... indeed it is chock full of pleasant melodies and artsy hooks... the sound may not be entirely unique anymore with the recent insurgence of indie rockers on the mainstream scene, but Seabird seems to hold their own on that front and i think that songs like "Rescue" and "Stronger" are certainly worth giving ear to...

TWITTERFIED!
to the tune of Lead Me On - Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn

So, i finally caved and signed up to join Twitter... it's nothing all that special, but see, what sold me is that there's a growing number of artists using it and if you follow them, you can find out about upcoming projects and tour stuff... that's what i was convinced of when i peeked in and saw the Bart Millard was recording for Hymned Vol 2...

other spectacular things i've learned since signing up? Vicky Beeching doesn't own a vaccuum cleaner, but she borrows one from her neighbor... Cindy Morgan has fed a camel... Brock Gill likes chocolate.... Aaron Shust likes to make bad puns about his friend's names... the guys from downhere like to run... someone from Dizmas doesn't watch where they're walking...

clearly this is an invaluable tool... though, i'll admit, it is how i discovered Mark Lee's book club...

RIVER ADVENTURE
to the tune of Veggie Doodle Dandy - Veggietales

So, despite Tuesday being all but a complete loss... i was able to give the boys a treat since they were pretty well-behaved... after they had gotten into their jammies and were ready for bed, i gathered them up, one on each side, and we planted ourselves on the couch to screen the upcoming Veggietales release, Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue...

My first thought was how daring it was to choose Huck Finn as the inspiration for a Veggietales film simply because i remember clearly that it's been the subject of banishment, censorship and whatnot throughout the years, but of course, it is a classic and it's a very memorable story of two pals and their adventures... and it translates very well to the capers of Bob and Larry... The sink scene was clever and really set the tone for the rest of the film...

It's a hair-raising tale of friendship, sacrifice, and doing what you know is right... it's also a fun tale of bluegrass, babies with signal flares and fried chicken... the boys enjoyed it, i liked it and it's a winner... due out July 12th... check it out...

THE READING ROOM
to the tune of Word of Mouth - John Reuben

Updated list for Mark Lee's Summer Reading Club... i keep adding more titles, but hopefully i'll get to cross some off...

- It All Goes Back in the Box (Ortberg)
- Deadly Viper Character Assassins (Foster & Wilhite) [audiobook]
- The Word of Mouth Manual (Balter) [about 15 pages left]
- Character Makes a Difference (Huckabee) [about 50 pages left]
- Simplicity (Salomon) [about 75 pages left]
- The Parent You Want to Be (Parrott) [about 150 pages left]
- New Way to Be Human (Peacock) [about 200 pages left]
- Boys Should Be Boys (Meeker)
- Wide Awake (McManus)
- At the Crossroads (Peacock)
- Deliver Us from Evelyn (Wells)
- The Two Towers (Tolkien)
- Quiet Strength (Dungy)
- UnChristian (Kinnaman & Lyons)
- Prince Caspian (Lewis)
- Searching for God Knows What (Miller)

FULL LIST HERE...

peace... love... bdg....

Well, it's Sunday and i've managed to complete another wonderful training / instructional manual... i'm turning into quite the technical writer while still maintaining the normal duties of my actual job title... i'm still pretty tired and all, but i'm glad to have those both behind me for now... i'm sure there's more coming and all, but right now there's something of a lull... a break in the action... a chance to catch my breath... and, since it looks like i'll be completely offline for the next three days while we frolic and play at the all-staff retreat (really sit around and listen to an endless string of presentations only to retire to a shared room assignment with none of the comforts of home), i'm imagining that my day job will be pretty slow at the beginning of the week...

So what on earth will i do with myself if i have no access to the grand old internet and no television and no privacy?... well, hopefully, i'll manage to get a number of interviews transcribed, get a number of other things written, get a little bit of reading done and, hey, maybe even sleep... i'm actually trying not to think about it too much, since it begins early tomorrow with a four-hour car ride with three coworkers...

Anyway, it's Sunday and, since i'll be out-of-pocket the next few days, i figured that i should get a few things written down to have something to show for myself in my absence... playing behind me at the moment is an episode of Mrs. Columbo which is a bonus feature of the Complete Third Season of Columbo... pretty fun... i love me some Columbo... but now let's move on...

ROCK WHAT YA GOT
to the tune of Hey Hey - Superchic[k]

So, we'll start with some music... i got the new Superchic[k] album the other day and have listened to it a few times... my boys actually enjoy it quite a bit too... they've even informed me that the song "Hey Hey" sounds very much like the modern version of "Cruella De Vil" from the 101 Dalmations DVD... could be... anyway, it's a pretty fun album and everything you'd expect from the group, but part of me thinks it could've been better...

THE BIGGER PICTURE
to the tune of Ignition (live) - TobyMac

so, i wrote this heading in the other day and had no idea what i was supposed to write about... but now i remember... TobyMac is taking a cue from U2 and hitting the big screen... apparently, tomorrow, the Alive and Transported video will be playing limited engagements in theaters... around here, there's one showing at 7:30 PM... but check your local listings if you're into that sort of thing... it's probably a cool idea... my boys enjoy the DVD a lot and it's better for their ears than a live show...

AND LOVING IT...
to the tune of Get Smart - Bob Crane & His Drums And Orchestra

i for one am really excited about the upcoming movie version of Get Smart... i think that Steve Carell is a great choice for Agent 86 and i always enjoy a good dose of The Rock... not so sure about Anne Hatheway or the lack of the 70s era, but i think it's going to be great... until it's ready though, i'm going to sit back and enjoy one of my latest silly acquisitions... the entire original series on DVD, complete with a collector's box that opens in three different directions like the command center of Control...

ONLY ONE
to the tune of Sirius - Alan Parsons Project

So, the NBA Finals are on and man, can they draw games out or what?.... i finally ended up watching game one between the Lakers and the Celtics the other night and i'm pretty tired of hearing about what a storied rivalry it is... great, i get it... i saw some of it growing up... and none of those guys are playing in this series... now, THAT might be something interesting... anyway, it looks to be a good series and i say that as someone who rarely watches the NBA anymore because it's just, i don't know, off... as i see it, it had it's hey day and that's now in the past... doesn't seem to be reviving itself anytime soon... i'll watch these games - all on a DVR delay - and i'll probably enjoy it... and i'm picking the Lakers in seven... (tonight they'll win by about 17)...

IT'S POTTY TIME...

Mute Math is working on a new album (cheers all around)... and they seem to be recording a lot of it in the bathroom... i guess we all potty break the same... (har-har)... anyway check out this preview video...

IN OTHER WORDS
to the tune of The End - Derek Webb

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg... Well, i finally finished this book... actually i finished it maybe a week and a half ago, but i'm finally wrapping up this coverage... the final section of the book tells us how to win... it reminds us that we need to focus on collecting the right types of trophies and then, in the last chapter it tells a story about a painting... the painting is called "Check Mate" and the story tells of a chess expert perturbed by the painting's title because, "the King has one more move"... (of course, there's a typo in the chapter title as it's printed on the page headers - "the kind has one more move")...

this really stood out to me because i was playing a game of chess at work and i was informed with a great deal of pride and boasting that i was in check mate... now, i hadn't paid much attention to the game up to that point because there's been a lot of things going on at work and chess wasn't exactly the most important thing to worry about much less strategize for... but, something about the snideness of this guy's voice... "check mate, but you must've known that was coming"... all of a sudden, something within me wanted to win... i had been resolved to lose and chalk it up to distraction... but now... oh, i wanted to win... suddenly the game mattered... and fortunately, when i went to check out the board, i discovered that he was wrong... there was another move... in fact, five moves later, i had taken his rook, bishop, knight and queen... and two moves after that, he conceded to defeat... check mate... that was music to my ears...

it doesn't really relate to the book, but it made me happy... anyway, i thought the book ended rather abruptly, but it's not like the ending was a surprise or anything... it was a good book overall...

NEXT UP
to the tune of You Make It Look So Easy - Stavesacre

Simplicity by Mark Salomon...

so, i've already begun the next book and i'm not sure how much opportunity i'll have to blog about it, because methinks that i'll be done with it rather quickly... i'm about 50 pages in already and i'm totally hooked... and what, with my downtime coming up this week, i may just plow through the whole thing... also worth noting, it's available at the Relevant Book Store for FOUR DOLLARS... normally, i'd be using an affiliate link to try and poach a few pennies from anyone kind enough to buy it, but it's such a good deal and Relevant is such a good place to support that it's the link i chose...

SUMMER READIN'
to the tune of Summer Nights - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

I'm also using those two books as my entry into Mark Lee's Summer Reading Club... it's supposed to be really laid back and i don't have much of a clue what the rules are, but since i stumbled upon it and i have a hard time saying no... i'm IN...

AND WITH THAT...

it's time to go... but wait... there's more... a quick glance at the front page will reveal a splendid little interview with Paul Alan... thanks for peeping that...

i'm getting so bad at this... it's like i never know what's happening because i'm too busy doing stuff all the time... sometimes i don't even know what i'm doing... that's when it gets nice and crazy... anyway... had a nice little breather at work, but things have kind of swollen back up and i'm far more than knee deep again... it's going to be a trying time the next few months at least and i'm sure it'll be a while before everything is aright... and i'm sure that i'm gonna be extremely tired when it's all said and done... i'm already at least halfway there...

Anyway, how about some TV talk, music chatter, and a little bit of other stuff...

CLEAR EYES... FULL HEARTS... CAN'T LOSE....
to the tune of Game On -Disciple

we've been going back through and watching FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS on DVD... we had watched Season One while it was happening, but by the time Season Two came on, i'm not sure what happened... i guess our DVR was overbooked or on the fritz or something and we ended up missing a bunch of the episodes and that coupled with the far-reaching murder subplot really turned me off to the show... Now that season two is out on DVD, i thought it was a good time to give it a second chance... and, thanks to good old netflix... it's pretty much risk free...

Anyway, i'm very glad we did because the writing (other than the whole murder thing) is just phenomenal... and it's reminded me of the most fascinating character on television... Tim Riggins... yeah that's right... and by fascinating, i mean that whenever he's on the screen, it's worth watching... he's easily the most complex character... and his reactions to life's problems, which tend to be numerous in his case, are always memorable... as easy as it would've been to make him a stock character with stereotypical reactions, i'm so glad they put more thought into him than that...

FASCINATION
to the tune of Fascination - Lester Lanin

Yeah, that's right.... Big Band... that's good stuff...

Anyway, since i've gone and declared Riggs as the most fascinating character on television, i thought i'd go ahead and list a few others that always grab my attention when they're on screen... Despite being numbered, this is my official, unordered list of last year's most fascinating characters on television...

• Jack Donaghy (30 Rock)
• Michael Westen (Burn Notice)
• Chuck Bartowski (Chuck)
• Brenda Johnson (The Closer)
• Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
• Robert Hawkins (Jericho)
• Peter Petrelli (Heroes)
• Sylar (Heroes)
• Robert Goren (Law & Order: Criminal Intent)
• Adrian Monk (Monk)
• Benjamin Linus (Lost)
• Daniel Faraday (Lost)
• Michael Scofield (Prison Break)

I'm sure that i've missed plenty... i don't watch every show obviously and, in some instances, i don't even watch the cool ones... You may also notice that there's no one from The Office on the list... trust me, that's still my favorite comedy by far, but i think as far as characters go, each character draws far too much strengh from how the entire ensemble acts and reacts... though, if forced into a corner, i'd probably be deciding between Toby and Creed since they have two of the smaller roles, but can, with a single line completely define the scene that they're in...

WIDE-EYED AND DIGITIZED
to the tune of The Invitation - downhere

Downhere has partnered with MusiChristian.com (who i used to use as my primary affiliate partnership) and they're giving away Wide Eyed and Mystified for the price of an email address... the album has amazingly been out for two years and the group has apparently mined it completely of all it's monetary value (what with a B-Sides and an acostic remix version among other things) and they really want you to remember their name when the release their next album, reportedly titled Ending is Beginning and may be released in late September... (currently, they're planning for the 23rd)...

So, you go to the page, enter your email address, and download a nice zip file with the full album in mp3 format complete with a 10-page that contains the liner notes and a cutout to make your CD insert and pretend that you bought a real copy of the album... and i jest, but it's really a good album and i think the vocal work on the album is some of the best that the past few years has to offer...

ANOTHER DEATH IN THE FAMILY
to the tune of Part the Waters Lord / I Need the Every Hour - Selah

And, now on a more serious note... actually, an extremely serious note... Nicol Sponberg (Selah) and her husband, Greg, recently had their life tragically interrupted with the death of their son, Luke who was, i beleve about three months old... It's my understanding that they also lost a nephew recently in the third hour of his life... clearly this is a difficult time for the family and prayers will be greatly appreciated... I'm told that they'll be establishing a Luke Sponberg Foundation and I'm sure that more details about that will be available in the near future...

AND WITH THAT...

Well, i had some other things to talk about, but it hardly seems like the best time to do that, so i'll close this out right now with a few links and a fond farewell for now...

- Third Day Walk TRu
- Phil Stacey Album Review

peace... love... bdg...

i promised myself that i'd write again before it was time to do the whole American Idol thing and yet, here it is again... Tuesday staring me square in the face laughing at my lack of discipline... mocking me with my own voice... well... anyway... it is Tuesday but it's not time for Idol... not just yet anyway... and i've not been idle in the meanwhile... in fact, i've been so busy that i'm ready to burst...

in the past week (though it feels like one long day), i worked on building out a new site for my brother and sister in law, i transcribed a lengthy interview, i wrote two feature articles, i wrote a couple reviews, i did a walk TRu, and i sketched out some work on a few other projects i have whirling around in my head... all this on top of my day job, the duties of which have exploded over the last five days or so... this is going to be one hectic week, i'll tell you that much... so much so that i missed out on having a sabbath this past weekend and i'm a little discombobulated... anyway... my time is probably short, so let's go ahead and dig in...

MOVIE MONDAY
to the tune of Assets and Targets - John Powell (from The Bourne Ultimatum)

Well, i finally got around to watching the third installation of the Bourne trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and all i have to say is woah... not like a Keanu Reaves, Matrix, "woah"... a serious, have i taken a single breath this entire movie, woah... i normally try to do some work or whatever on my laptop while the movies are playing, but not while Jason Bourne was on... i had a tough time taking my eyes off the screen the entire time and that's how an action movie should be... if i'm watching an action flick, i want to be completely taken in by it... i want the little boy in me to be acting out the fight scenes for the next few days after watching it... bottom line, The Bourne Ultimatum gets a 4.5 out of 5 from me...

RETURN OF THE TALK
to the tune of Jesus is Just Alright -dc Talk

So i've realized that i don't talk music enough here on the old blog, which is genuinely odd since this is primarily a music website... if i made any bread and butter, you could say that music is where i've made it... and since i enjoy the older stuff too, when i saw this headline... dc Talk Reunites. . . i naturally had to check it out and share it with you all... i knew we'd all be excited together... (note: yes, i realize that it is what it is)...

WHERE IS THE LOVE
to the tune of Love Is Here - Tenth Avenue North

And now for perhaps some more serious musical news... hot new band Tenth Avenue North who's debut record is set to release next week has released a video for their lead single... the video for Love Is Here seems to pay a bit of tribute to The Beatles and U2... or maybe i'm reading into it too much... anyway, the song's really good....

IN OTHER WORDS
to the tune of Violet Hill - Coldplay

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg... Well, i've moved onto the final section of this book, which means it's time for me to talk about Hazards (the second to last section)... the first chapter in this section jumped off the pages to me... "BEWARE, THE SHADOW MISSION" discusses what i'm far too familiar with... distractions... distractions keep you from accomplishing your mission... shadow missions seem like worthy causes sometimes... like, hey, can i really beat my previous high score in that game?... but they occupy your time and prevent you from making progress on what actually matters in the long term... it's somthing that i can honestly admit to struggling with just about every day...

the rest of the section is good, too, reminding us that competition isn't necessarily a bad thing... more stuff will never make us more of an actual success... and what's really important in terms of our physical existence is how we react to, cohabitate with and most importanty love those around us... all in all, a number of good lessons in this book so far... and as i've rounded the last bend as they say (i have about 20 pages to go), it's earning my recommendation more and more with each page turned... stay tuned for the finale sometime (most likely) next week...

PEEP INSTEAD OF SLEEP

okay and there are a few things to check out over on the main page... first, a Walk TRu of WOW Hits [1]... part two of my GMA Reflections and Responses... and an album review of Meredith Andrew's debut album, The Invitation... right around the corner, you can expect some more reviews, 2 interviews (Salvador and Stephanie Smith), an iTRunes playlist and a handful of other things...

peace... love... bdg...

So, it's another Idol night already and that means i've not updated in a week... what a jerk... anyway... i've been trying to readjust to life and a bunch of other excuses that you don't care about, i'm sure... and man, have my allergies been driving me nuts lately... my eye has been twitching for about a month and my nose has been twitching on and off as well... the littles are starting to struggle with the pollen counts, too, which really makes like fun... anyway... lots to get to, so let's get getting...

MOVIE MONDAY

i meant to go post this yesterday, but i didn't post anything so, here it is now... i finally, (read: FINALLY), saw Oceans Thirteen... and for me, it was goooood... i really like the series and i thought this one fit very nicely into the mix... you gotta love crooks who steal to make other people happy... and they're all just the epitome of cool... a couple odds and ends notes... as expected there were a number of twists and turns in the plot line... i say expected because it seems like every movie now has to have these crazy twists at the end nowadays... i think that eventually, we'll get to the point where a straightforward movie - one where what you expect to happen actually happens - is going to be the new suspense thriller... just a thought... Also, and i'm not one to force spiritual meanings into things, but at the end of the movie, all i could think about was that verse in the Bible about man making all the plans that he wants, but it's only God's plans that actually matter in the long run... yeah... i should figure out where that's from exactly... i'm guessing Proverbs...

FOUR MORE (A.K.A. THE AI COMMENTARY)
to the tune of Roll over Beethoven -Chuck Berry

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night... i... wanna rock and roll all night.... and party every day... okay... so i'm not going to guess the songs this week, but anyone wanna bet that Brooke tries to crash the stage and sing Piano Man or something... anyone? anyone?... okay... the show's underway after Ryan specifies when the judges are allowed to speak...

David (Daughtry the 2nd) Cook: Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran... i remember the video for this song more than anything else about it... i think some dude was wandering around the woods trying to catch a girl dressed up like Little Red Riding Hood and he's wearing a wolf skin... i remember that video more then i expect to remember this performance actually... Randy says it was just okay... Paula says she's hungry for some David Cook and then she rambles on about something odd... Simon says it's probably good enough, but nothing special...

Syesha (a.k.a. Cry-esha): Syesha's dress has been designed by Kristy Lee Cook... or something... oh, i like the hat... Tina... i thought she might sing some Tina or Aretha, but i don't know who's in the HOF... wow... she's trying to look like Tina... she's definitely working it... she has the clear advantage of being the only official girl left in the competition... and this song is alright... her vocal isn't that great, but the performance is very strong indeed... she knows how to use the stage... Randy says she was in the zone... (no, i didn't just copy that from last week)... Paula says she looks like a star... Simon says he has to put a slight damper on it... shrieky, bad impersonation of Tina Turner... the song was Proud Mary, by the way...

Jason (Castor Oil) Castro: i think Carley's drunk... so, go figure, Jason Castro is singing a Bob Marley tune... I Shot the Sheriff... props right off the bat to the band... they're fantastic... he's alright... well... i mean, this really... well... um... he looks the part at least... he needs to take into account the dynamics and meaning of the song... Randy plays the karaoke card... Paula says he played to the crowd... Simon says it was utterly atrocious and he has no idea what Jason was thinking...

{Little) David Archuleta: singing Stand By Me... and he actually looks like the kids walking on the train tracks during this movie... i remember singing this song in like fifth grade or something... i think i sounded about the same... well, i didn't sing it solo or anything... but come on... if anyone deserves the karoake card, it's him right here... that's just... bah... Randy says he broght the hot man vocals... or hot mad vocals... or something like that... Paula says she admires that he kept his eyes open... Simon says whistling would've been better than Jason's song, that he struggled a little bit, but it was the best performance so far...

REALLY? YOU WANT MORE?
to the tune of A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

So far i'm not really impressed with any of them (surprise), but as of halfway through, Archy and Jason seem to be battling for the boot...

David (Daughtry the 2nd) Cook: singing something from The Who... Baba O'Riley?... i never listened much to The Who... it seemed really short, which isn't a baad thing... i've decided that he sounds like Todd Agnew... slow build and now he's screaming up the end of the tune... whatever... it's alright... Randy says it was really good, the David Cook they like... Paula says she wants a happy meal with a David Cook toy to hug and squeeze and hang from her rear view mirror... Simon says welcome back...

Syesha (a.k.a. Cry-esha): oh no she isn't... she's singing my boy Sam Cooke... Change is Gonna Come... look, if you can't mess with a Bob Marley song, i'm not sure you can mess with Sam... well, this is an entirely new arrangement... and she's belting out the words here and there... that's a strong finish, but i'm not sure that the whole thing was that great... not as much soul to it as the original... Randy says he didn't like the arrangement and you shouldn't mess with Sam... Paula says she did a great thing with her vocals... Cry-esha is still reeling from Randy's harsh comments... Simon takes pity and sides with Paula, noting that Randy got it entirely wrong...

Jason (Castor Oil) Castro: oh gosh... Jason didn't shoot the sheriff, he shot himself in the foot, head and heart... BOB DYLAN???? and we don't know the lyrics... somebody call Wayne Brady up on stage... i don't even know what to say... sort of like Jason... wah wah waaaah wah wah waaaaah.... well, needless to say, it was terrible and he's going to get trashed... he might not get voted off though... Randy just kind of giggles... Paula is smelling her feet... Simon tells him to pack his suitcase...

{Little) David Archuleta: oh... good grief... he really IS trying to beat Jason for the lamest performance... Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley... and he's, well, he's saving himself quite nicely actually... the vocal is pretty solid... why does the dude who can sing really well have to be so annoying?... Randy says he was carressing the lyrics... Paula says he's so sweet... Simon says he CRUSHED all those who oppose...

Well, i'll say that the Davids are safe and Jason will go home despite the possibility of pretending to forget the lyrics for the sake of getting sympathy... Syesha will probably be left on stage with Jason, but should be safe...

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

So, lots of new stuff to peep over on the main page... first up, a Walk TRu of the Jars of Clay Greatest Hits project... part one of my GMA Reflections and Responses... an interview with Poems (formerly Sharlok Poems, Sharlok P, etc from LA Symphony)... and an album review of Salvador's latest, Aware... and there's plenty more to come...

peace... love... bdg...

and it's Tuesday... and that means that i should talk about television... so here's a quick rundown of my comments... Barney? NO, he's the best character... at 31 she DID live there?... "It's not happening if you don't look at it" "Kind of like Poverty?"... okay, i'm out of thoughts... everything is kind of jumbled together right now... anyway... it's time for American Idol...

FIVE ALIVE
to the tune of Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond night... TODAY... we comin' to America... i'm sure someone will sing that tonight... Kristy Lee would've definitely done it, but i'd bet on Archy... anyway, here we go...

Jason (Castor Oil) Castro: don't forget the lyrics, dude... off we go... singing Forever in Blue Jeans... with the guitar... and he's doing alright... Simon is entirely disinterested... why is that violinist wearing shades?... why does this sound like a really sleepy tune... that's right, it's the slacker singing it... you think that eye color is fake or what?... i didn't mind it too much... Iron Man looks pretty good... Bret Michaels, not so much...

David (Daughtry the 2nd) Cook: goofing off with Ryan, goosing Neil... man, this guy is just too comfortable... i've never heard a Neal Diamond song sung in monotone before... what's up with that jacket?... is he the DC that completes the AC that's on his jacket and guitar?... is that his mom's gear? is he peddling her line of wares illegally on the show?... he sang I'm Alive and it was alright, i suppose... i thought it was kind of boring myself, but i'm probably alone in that...

Brooke White (The Piano Whisperer): singing I'm a Believer by the Monkees... or, by Neal Diamond... well, she's playing the guitar, but the real band is playing loud enough to drown her out... now, if only they could do something about her vocal... it's not that good... i've totally flipped on her since the beginning of this competition... she's... oh, greay leather pants... no thanks...

{Little) David Archuleta: HA!... he IS gonna sing it... anyway... he's such a dork in Neil's presence... own a piece of Archuleta... no thanks... first son is Sweet Caroline... it seems like he forgot the words there... maybe it was just a dramatic pause... well, this just isn't working for me... he's just too drama queen for this song... and it's too Brady Bunch for me... the crowd goes wild and i go to get something to munch on...

Syesha (a.k.a. Cry-esha): singing Hello Again... she's doing the Kat McPhee sit on the steps routine... and well... i like her voice, i've always thought it was good when she stays in her range... this song is pretty slow and some people may think it's boring... but she's doing a nice job... she just wanted to show off her vocal control probably... i hope the next one is more memorable...

Randy says, Jason: OK, Cook: Solid, Brooke: Karaoke, Archy: DaBOMB, Syesha: in the zone
Paula says: Jason: lower register, David: something about his second song... what? he only sang once? what? oh he's fabulous
Simon (amen) says: forgettable, just above average, nightmare, amateurish, old fashioned

ENCORE, ENCORE?
to the tune of Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond

Jason (Castor Oil) Castro: singing September Mourn... i think this is the Frank Sinatra version... you know how Frank pretty much just says, "screw your arrangement, I'm singing it Myyyyyy waaaaaay..." this is a really slow version and i'm falling asleep... sorry castro... it's just not cutting it... Randy says, dude, it was just okay, whatever... Paula says it was the same liberty, too safe... Jason says, guh-huh, guh-huh, i was choking.... SImon says no one will remember him or something to that effect...

David (Daughtry the 2nd) Cook: "the rocker's second outing"... with something... the bag of chips was crinkling too loudly for me to hear... i'll tell you one thing though... it's not a rock song... All I Really Need Is You... and now he's trying to rock out like he's Jeremy Camp or something... he's really shouting... and really, he's reminding me that i will not buy any of the season seven albums... seriously... for reals... Randy says... you know what, i'm a huge fan, you rocked the house... Paula is proud of him because he pulled off the lesser known songs... Simon says, to be honest, one was okay, that was brilliant... BAH!

Brooke White (The Piano Whisperer): like totally, that wasn't a nightmare, giggle giggle... singing I Am, I Said with the lyrics on her hand facing the piano keys... silly... i actually like this song... this one fits her pretty well... much better than the apparently debatable nightmare that was her first performance... she's much more comfy behind the piano... Randy says... nice job... Paula says she is vulnerable and everyone loves her... it worked... Simon says he really hated the first one, but this was the one we like...

{Little) David Archuleta: back again with the money, "how can you vote against AMERICA" song... David Archy with his voice cracking and everything... they better hope that he doesn't hit puberty during this competition... i think even the background singers are boring on this one... let freeedom riiiiiiiiiiiiing.... bah, that was a very campy version of the song... blah... Randy says he was in the zone, Paula says he was on point and she loves him... Simon points out the contrived choice of song...

Syesha (a.k.a. Cry-esha): ooh, i could go for some arby's... singing Thank the Lord for the Night time and... aw, Syesha, why'd you take it this direction?... maybe she's going for the Motown, Shirelles type of vibe, but it's coming across as very High School Musical... i think she lost her shoes too... i didn't mind it, but it could've been much better... and that's the one they'll remember... Randy says it could've been on Broadway... Paula fumbles through some random words about magic and theatrics... Simon asks Paula if she liked it or not... then he says she's more of an actress than a singer and she might be in trouble...

Bottom Three: Brooke, Jason, Syesha (going home)

AND THEN...

So, i did some stuff on the old site today... tidied up a few things... redesigned the reviews page, added two reviews... (After Edmund and Leeland), added in a bit under the AbouTRu section and added a way to sign up for a newsletter that i'll explain more about later... more coming soon...

peace... love... bdg...

... ouch!... yeah, that was the joke of the weekend because i actually did walk into a bar or, more accurately a pole... hard.... which is what happens when you go to bed too late on Friday, get up too early on Saturday and care more about keeping your little boy out of the road than where you are walking... and, of course if you don't look where you're going... so i plowed face first into a signpost that was very well cemented into the ground and very solid... my head's still pretty sore and i have bruises on my elbow and knee both of which also managed to hit the post directly, but i'm recovering pretty well... laughter is the best medicine and trust me, i've laughed at myself a lot over the past few days...

DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN?

so things look kind of dark for my boy Mike and his chances after the Wisconsin primary the other night... but that's nothing... all you need is a candle, right?... that candle, that spark may be Texas... i just finished watching a video of Mike addressing a crowd in Plano Texas and he was very serious about continuing in the race, knowing that Texas is a big big deal and reminding everyone that they shouldn't let the media or the other states tell them how it's going to be, for example, who's going to be their Republican candidate for president...

It does seem pretty silly the way these nominations are set up... and it's clear to me that i've never paid much attention to the process in the past because it's just complete nonsense... primaries, caucuses (caucii?), different ways of dividing them up based on state, county, party, etc... i mean, who thought of this anyway?... and it's true, some states who haven't held a vote yet really end up disenfranchised because their choices are pretty much taken away from them before they get to cast their ballots... there's gotta be a better way...

Anyway, i think i'm talking too much politics these days... this is probably why i have kept a tradition of not getting into it in the past... time for a break...

E AMPERSAND P

apparently, belated congratulations are in order for Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken... the husband/wife duo delivered a healthy baby boy into this world back on July 4th - not sure how i missed that... but that is not all... oh, no... that is not all... Derek and Sandra have also put together a nice little six-song EP called the Ampersand EP... i think later on, i'll put together a nice little write up about it, but right now, you can and should go buy your own copy...

THE NEW 24

season seven of American Idol is well underway and they're down to the top 24 singers... you'll notice i didn't do any blogging from this week's episodes like i've done in the past... maybe in time i'll do that again, but man, i'm just so not into the show this year... i'm not sure why, but i don't think it matters who wins this year's contest... it seems to me that we're all losers for keeping the show going... maybe it's because everyone keeps saying that it's the most talented group ever, but i think that that's just another example of the media forcing its opinion on the general public... i'm tired of that and maybe that's why i'm tired of the show already... that new Paula Abdul song is HOT though, right?

PRISON BREAK

season three just ended this week and i'm pretty sure it was cut short by about 9 episodes unless they plan on bringing those out in some random off-season run... (get it, run?)... anyway, the finale was pretty good... the show was starting to get pretty tiring actually, i mean how many times can a dude break out of prison, right? but at least it turned into a slightly different plot angle which was nice... and some of the characters (hello Bellick) got pretty irritating even until the very end... the way they've lined things up for next season hopefully opens the door for an interesting year... one big difference and potential problem is that Michael is no longer a sympathetic character since he's now out to chase revenge rather than justice... not sure how that will play out, but it may make things a little crazy with no one to really root for...

WHEN DOVES CRY

since i'm clearly already behind schedule... i mean, it's already almost Friday... so here's the haps... got a few Dove features up, my predictions and commentary and a special iTRu-nes playlist... also, i've got some reviews, yes reviews up as well... Mainstay and Ronnie Freeman... more coming tomorrow...

peace... love... bdg...

happy super wednesday... i'm sure everyone was up all night waiting for the vote tallies to come in... or not... i watched a bit of the coverage last night, but honestly most of the pundits are so obnoxious that i just prefer to wait to see the results online or hear it on the radio... it was a great night, a monumental occassion and that's about all i have time to talk about... so let's get to it, shall we?

MIKE-D UP!!

Well, with five state wins yesterday, my boy Mike Huckabee shook up the world as they say, proving that sticking to your guns so to speak works... He's still something of a darkhorse, but he proved that it was downright silly for Anderson Cooper to have ignored him during the last debate... Romney pretty much got the pants beaten off of him last night and he's outright angry about it... i mean, how much money does it take to buy the presidency, anyway?

So McCain is still clearly the frontrunner with some big wins last night as well, leaving Mitt and Mike duking it out over the actual conservative votes... here's what i found very interesting and perhaps telling, however... the home states of McCain, Mitt and Mike all voted yesterday and, not surprisingly, each candidate won in their respective state... Mr. Huckabee's victory, however, seemed to me, to be the only convincing victory... netting about 60% of the votes to McCain's second place total of 20%... McCain won Arizona, but by a much closer margin grabbing 47% of the votes to Romney's 34%... but Romney's victory in Massachusetts was by an even slimmer margin at 51% to McCain's 41%...

It's quite possible that i'm reading into this more than is reasonable, but it seems to me that the principle of cooks applies... that principle, by the way, is that you should never eat at a restaurant where the cook eats elsewhere... i think this perhaps more appropriate in comparing Romney and Huckabee, since they were both Governors, running the state as a microcosm of the government they hope to run... just make you wonder who you're voting for...

RUNNING SHORT

i'll have more tomorrow, some "regularly scheduled" stuff and more Superbowl talk, more on Romney and more more more... i found out that i've got a new review up over at SphereOfHipHop.com... kind of funny, because i wrote it a long time ago and didn't even recognize it at first...

'til morrow...

peace... love... bdg...

Yesterday was non-stop motion, so i didn't really get a chance to do a full blog entry, so here's a special Tuesday update... we'll join yesterday's blog already in progress...

Well, that was a busy weekend.. i feel like i'm a bit behind on everything and maybe a part of that is because i'm starting this so late... but we'll see where it goes and how it all turns out... i ended up seeing a couple movies, booking a few interviews, enjoying a special breakfast with little boy, checking out a comedy improv show and, of course, watching some serious football...

And now, it's back to the grindstone and back to the ole blog...

THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR...

...the underdogs are here... well Sunday the 13th lived up to all the eerie superstitions that can be expect- what? oh, why does that only work for Fridays?... anyway... what a crazy bunch of games this weekendl... i honestly can't remember a year when the playoffs were so very compelling... i've been on the edge of my seat for most of these games so far and i can't wait for the next round... with the exception (maybe) of the Giants and Buccaneers game from Wild Card weekend, all of these games have been classic matchups... and this weekend is shaping up to be a snow-bowl in Green Bay and a snow-bowl in New England...

i'll address each of these games later this week, but man, is this excitement or what?

THANK DOGS YOU'RE HERE...

our church brought in a comedy team known as Mad Dogs and Englishmen this past weekend... having no idea what type of comedy this would be, we decided to go because there was free child care and i like to laugh... turned out that they are an improv team in the vein of Whose Line Is It? and Thank God You're Here... and i guess that's about where i would put them... not nearly as good as Whose Line, but not as agonizingly bad as You're Here... the biggest problem, i think was that they dragged the sketches on too long... 5-6 shorter sketches would've played better than 3-4 longer ones... i'm just saying... that and the fact that i'm funnier... but anyway..

YO HO HERO...

YES... as promised i went to see Veggietales extravaganza known as The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. We packed up the littles and headed to the "movie puterer" on Friday afternoon for opening day. It wasn't quite as crowded as one might expect, but that's probably because we didn't go to the midnight showing or anything like that... actually, the movie did fairly well in the theaters, placing 9th in total sales with just under $4.5 million and maybe 6th or so based on the average per theater...

All that aside, the movie itself was very entertaining... i liked it from the very beginning and as always, it's great fun picking out all the random pop culture references... leading up to the release, i'd heard complaints that it doesn't blatently spell out the Gospel message... but there are so many good lessons and messages tucked away in there that i think those folks are crazy... i liked it, the little liked it, it was a hit all around... and the littles currently spend as much time as they can blasting the soundtrack in their headphones... go see this movie...

MUSIC NEWS

Skillet recently announced that they've got a new drummer now... Apparently Lori "Coolest Chick Drummer Ever" Peters has moved on to pursue other interests and she's replaced by youngster, Jen Ledger... Ledger has been training with Lori for the last few months and is excited to join the group...

the big news today though is that EMI has announced plans to cut about 2000 jobs (a third of their current workforce) over the next six months... the cuts will save an estimated $400 million a year and, "allow [their] labels to spot and sign new artists and better handle existing ones," according to a press release. sure, less people doing more work for fear of getting fired... that's the way to go...

and the really big news is that American Idol begins again tonight... okay, not that big of a deal... never mind.. move along...

WORD OF THE DAY

Joshua 4: 1-9

What do these stones mean?... i remember hearing a sermon specifically about this question... actually, it wasn't a sermon so much as, hmm... what was it? i wanna say that it had something to do with a mission statement of some sort... regardless... this is an interesting passage for me... clearly this is a common practice for their culture, stacking up some rocks, building a memorial and remembering from whence you came...

whenever i go into the Capital, which isn't very often, i love looking at the architecture of the buildings - houses, museums and whatnot... and most people who come to DC spend the bulk of their time walking around "The Mall" and staring at all the memorials that have been erected to honor past leaders and influential times... i guess we all have different ways of preserving memories, but it seems that we could do better... i don't know, giving God credit for all that He's done... perhaps we're so far removed from deliverance... i don't know... just thinking out loud...

IN OTHER WORDS

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg...

Ortberg states that there are three main ways that we keep score in life... comparison, competition and climbing... they're all quite interconnected actually and as, he states, they all have downfalls... there are healthy ways to work within each of these scoring systems, but more often than not, we'll get caught up in them, and fall into their respective trappings... before closing out the chapter, Ortberg talks about the contrast between these three systems and the one that Jesus models... it's almost like he's read my mind...

GONE BABY GONE

well... little boy actually has a fever today and i'm going to go take care of him... like only daddy can... this is where i would put links to all the updates that i've had pop up around the web, but there's nothing to link to today... perhaps tomorrow... i do have a number of irons in the fire... be safe and enjoy American Idol tonight... bdg... out!

peace... love... bdg...